The Mets Brought Them Together, and May Pull Them Apart

In the melting pot of New York City, what better than players from the Dominican Republic (Reyes), Venezuela (Cabrera) and Cuba (Cespedes) joining forces so emphatically? All three players dyed their hair blond during the playoff push.

Photo

Reyes and Cespedes celebrated a win over the Atlanta Braves on April 3 at Citi Field, with Cabrera close by.Credit
Elsa/Getty Images

But a season later, with the Mets now burdened with injuries and inconsistencies and a record that was seven games under .500 going into Tuesday’s game in Miami, the dynamics of this three-way friendship have begun to shift. Cespedes remains tied to the Mets through a long-term deal, but both Reyes and Cabrera face uncertain futures with the team.

That they may not be teammates much longer has not been lost on them. All three are veterans who have been traded before. All three know how baseball works.

“This is a business,” Reyes said recently in Spanish. “You never know how long we’re going to be together. We have to enjoy and take advantage of this time we have together as much as we can.”